Greg Auman: ‘I Think He’s The Guy’

Jameis Winston is by no means chubby, but his appearance at his Pro Day on Tuesday raised a few eyebrows. Why? Because when the former Heisman Trophy winner took his shirt off, he looked, well, a little flabby.

That’s not exactly what you want to see from the potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Should Winston’s physique be of concern for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

“I do think there were some pictures that were less than flattering of him,” Tampa Bay Times Bucs writer Greg Auman said on CBS Sports Radio’s The DA Show. “And again, you’d like to think given the importance of the value that goes with being the No. 1 pick, you’d want somebody who’s very focused and in optimal training this spring – and he hasn’t been. Lovie Smith, for once, has even been critical of his conditioning. (He) said he was looking forward to getting (Winston) in an NFL weight room and with a nutritionist, taking care of something that maybe isn’t there at the level you’d like to be for an elite quarterback.

“But again, I don’t think he weighs more than he did as a senior at Florida State,” Auman continued. “I think his weight probably went up right after the season. But where he checked in at the combine was within a couple pounds of what they had listed him at Florida State. So it’s something you want to watch just because it can fluctuate in an offseason. You want to guard against that because you don’t want to be having somebody to have to do this every year. But I do think the Bucs are confident that if they get him in their facility with their trainers and their nutritionists and such, they can eliminate some of that factor.”

As for Winston’s actual Pro Day performance? Impressive. He completed the vast, vast majority of the 102 passes that he threw.

“Winston looked really good,” Auman said. “He’s gotten some mixed reviews from people. (He) started out really well (and only) had nine or 10 total incompletions. So you’re talking about a 90 percent pass rate. There’s no defense, there’s no pressure. It’s all very, very spelled out, very choreographed. But I think most people felt like he did well and didn’t do anything to hurt where he stands as the likely No. 1 pick.”

Auman is extremely confident that the Bucs, who haven’t picked first since 1987, will make Winston their franchise quarterback.

“They’ve been very public in their approval of him from the top down – not just coach and GM, but the ownership being on board for it,” Auman said. “I think the only thing that really has kept them from being more vocal is just guarding against the possibility of something else happening or something else coming out here in the 30 days between now and the draft. But barring that, I think he’s the guy and he’s the No. 1 pick.

“Honestly, they haven’t had very much in terms of concerns,” Auman continued. “I think they’re comfortable with what they’re dealing with in terms of character. I think they said several times here in the last two months that the problems he’s had off the field, they feel like are immaturity and not bad character and things that he can outgrow. And beyond that, I think they feel good about him as a player. The on-field things, they’re not concerned about, and I think they’re okay with who he is and who he’s been and confident that he’s unlikely to continue what has been a troublesome pattern at Florida State.”